Software setup

Note: Throughout this document, components will be numbered corresponding to the order list. This is to help you identify the component or part that you are working with.

1.​ QGroundControl setup

QGroundControl is a program that provides flight control and mission planning for any MAVLink enabled drone. It provides configuration for ArduPilot and PX4 Pro powered vehicles. QGroundControl is very easy to use.

1.1 Install QGroundControl

Install QGroundControl for your operating system. This software is not to be installed on the on-board computer (Raspberry Pi B+) but rather a main computer. In case you already have QGroundControl installed on your main computer, make sure that the version is up-to date. This will avoid any parameter discrepancies.

The required parameters are already uploaded on the onboard flight controller (Pixhawk 4) of the Otus Quadcopter.

2. Install Steam

The RCbenchmark Tracking Lab and the Otus tracker are compatible with and require SteamVR. Install Steam by downloading the executable (.exe) from the official website. You will have to create an account. For more information, please see the Installing Steam page. Please note that it is preferable to install Steam on the default destination folder as shown on the Steam Setup image.

2.1 Install SteamVR

SteamVR can be installed inside the Steam software. Open Steam, go to Library and click on Tools. Search for SteamVR and double click on it to start the installation.

3. Download RCbenchmark Tracking Lab

Please download the RCbenchmark Tracking Lab.

Note: RCbenchmark Tracking Lab can only be installed on a Windows 10 OS.

Make sure you have the licensed version of the software, which enables you to transfer data at higher rates. Details on how to download and obtain the license can be found on this page.

4. (Deprecated, for reference only) Install PuTTY

The Otus Quadcopter now has Cloud9 pre-installed. Simply open a browser on a computer that is on the same network as the Otus Quadcopter and type: 192.168.X.XXX:8080, where X.XXX is the IP address of your quadcopter as displayed on the OLED screen.

Note: Once the Raspberry Pi is connected to the internet, look at the LCD screen for the IP address. Take a note of the IP Address.

The onboard Raspberry Pi has SSH enabled by default to facilitate direct communication between the main computer and the Raspberry Pi. But, to be able to interface with the Raspberry Pi, you need to install PuTTY on your main computer, which is an open-source terminal emulator which emulates Raspberry Pi's terminal once a connection has been established. This step is not necessary for flight, but SSH access is very useful during development.

InstallPuTTY. Once installed, you can open the application to see a similar GUI as shown in the image below.